He did it his way: Book details colorful life of 'Hawk' Harrelson

Ken "Hawk" Harrelson is shown in the Boston Red Sox locker room shortly after it was announced in 1969 that he had been traded to the Cleveland Indians. Hawk, who led the American League with 109 RBI in 1968, initially balked at the blockbuster trade.(Photo11: Frank C. Curtin, AP)

Most baseball fans know former slugger Ken "Hawk" Harrelson for being an unabashed homer in the broadcast booth for the Chicago White Sox. But during his nine-year major league career, Hawk spent three seasons with the Indians nearly a half century ago.

He was in Cleveland just long enough to leave a lasting impression as you'll discover if you read his autobiography "Hawk: I Did It My Way," released earlier this year and written with Ashland native Jeff Snook.

Ken "Hawk" Harrelson was only with the Cleveland Indians for three seasons, but it was long enough to leave a lasting impression.(Photo11: AP)

Snook and Harrelson did most of their collaboration in 2017 during White Sox road trips. It just happened that the first time they hooked up on the road was in Cleveland, where his time there could best be described as star-crossed.

Too often that seems to be the case with Cleveland and its pro athletes.

As a young teenager, I remember Hawk for his curved, pointy nose, hence his nickname.

I remember his weird batting stance, toes of his left foot dug into the dirt with his left heel elevated.

I remember thinking how cool it was that he was the first player, at least of his era, to wear a batting glove, or in his case, a golf glove, given that golf was his true passion.

I remember being excited when the Indians pulled off a blockbuster trade in April 1969, for Hawk.

He was the toast of Boston, having helped the Red Sox reach the World Series in 1967 and then having a breakout season in 1968 with 35 homers and an American League-best 109 RBI, incredible offensive numbers during the "Year of the Pitcher."

How tough was that season on hitters? The Tribe's Luis Tiant won 21 games and had a 1.60 ERA in '68 and didn't win the Cy Young Award. It went to Detroit's Denny McLain, who won 31 games and had 28 complete games. There hasn't been a 30-game winner in the majors since.

And there hasn't been anyone quite like Hawk in a Tribe uniform since.

I remember being crushed when he first balked at being traded to the Indians. I can still see the big photo of him reclining on a trunk in the Red Sox locker room that ran with the story about how he was thinking about retiring instead of going to Cleveland.

Can you blame him? The Red Sox were less than two years removed from reaching the World Series and the Tribe hadn't won it since 1948 (still haven't, of course).

Hawk eventually signed for $75,000, with another $25,000 for promotional appearances, huge money back then. He rented a penthouse near downtown whose tenants included Indians owner Vernon Stouffer and Browns owner (ugh) Art Modell.

Stouffer allowed Hawk to use his helicopter, which had a landing pad on top of the apartment building, to avoid traffic and commute to the stadium. It would drop Hawk off in center field three hours before the game, a sight that never got old for reporters.

"I saw a Major League Baseball documentary on Hawk's life narrated by Bob Costas and there was a lot about his life off the field and friendships with celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Rocky Marciano and Joe Namath," Snook said. "Hawk did an autobiography in 1969, but that was basically only 20 percent of his life."

Ken "Hawk" Harrelson sizes up the situation from the Cleveland Indians' dugout before the start of their game with the Washington Senators in Cleveland, April 26, 1969. The Hawk came to Cleveland from Boston in a six-player trade.(Photo11: Julian C. Wilson, AP)

Hawk had decided to do another book before he met Snook, who has written 13 books, including four on Ohio State football. (For more visit jeffsnook.net.) Snook, who splits time between Florida and a home he has in north central Ohio, drove three hours to Hawk's place on the 17th tee at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Golf Club, and they hit it off.

It's safe to say Snook has never written about a more interesting character than Hawk, whose career was colored by bars and fights and bar fights.

"I read all these clippings about him and back then he was the Joe Namath of baseball," Snook said, referring to arguably the most colorful player, certainly quarterback, in NFL history. "That's why they bonded and were such good friends.

"He crossed over popularity-wise (from athlete to celebrity). He had endorsements (and a TV variety show called The Hawk's Nest with big-name guest stars), and just loved that lifestyle."

The highlight for Hawk in Cleveland was that first season. He finished with 30 homers and 92 RBI. He thought he had a better year than in '68, when he was AL Player of the Year.

In 1970, he broke his ankle in spring training and essentially missed the season. He was set to retire, but came back out of loyalty to manager Alvin Dark and signed a blank contract for the 1971 season.

Hawk, ever the iconoclast, wanted to be the only player in history to play a season without knowing the terms of his contract.

Congratulations. To this day he still doesn't.

"I said, surely you would have known when you got your paycheck," Snook said. "He said his checks went to his agent and his agent paid the bills (and deposited the rest into an account Hawk could access), so he never did see it."

It became a moot point when a few months into the season, Hawk decided baseball had become drudgery and decided to retire after 52 games. At 29, he was ready to play golf for a living.

Thirteen months later he was playing in the British Open as the second-lowest American qualifier. He missed the cut by one stroke and, unfortunately, didn't have the temperament to make a go of it on the PGA tour.

But next time you're talking about great multi-sport athletes like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders and Dave Winfield, remember Hawk Harrelson, too.